Distributor



DISTRIBUTOR Filed Feb. l5, 1934 Patented Apr. 21, 1936 UNITED STATES DISTRIBUTOR Einer W. Larsen, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application February 15, 1934, Serial No. I711,369

8 Claims.

This invention relates toa distributor and more particularly to a reciprocable material guiding distributor for winding machines.

An object of the invention is to provide a simple,

eflicient and practical distributor. l

In accordance with the object, one embodiment of the invention comprises a threaded shaft, a material guiding member mounted for movement upon the shaft and moved by the rotation thereof, a power means, and gearing having the form of a differential-gear for connecting the threaded shaft with `the power means. Under control of the guiding member the gearing is locked to rotate as a unit for rotating the shaft in one direction and the spider of the gearing is locked against rotation for rotating the shaft in the opposite direction.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing,

wherein Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of the apparatus, portions thereof being shown in elevation;

Fig. 2 isa schematic front elevational view illustrating the invention, and

Fig. 3-is a sectional View taken along the line 3-.93 of Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawing, wherein like reference numerals designate similar parts throughout the various views, numeral Ill .designates a threaded shaft which has a reduced portion I-I journaled in a support I2fand is hollowed at its Vinnerer left end (Fig. 1) to receive one end of a drive shaft I3. The drive shaft I3 is secured to the reduced portion of the threaded shaft as at I4 and has mounted thereupon and keyed thereto a beveled gear I5. A supporting element I8 is rotatably mounted upon the drive shaft I3 adjacent the beveled gear I5 and has an integral portion which extends vertically around a pinion I9 and serves as a bearing for the outer end of a stub shaft 20 which extends through and rotatably supports the pinion. Although the element I8 carries only one pinion in the embodiment shown,

it corresponds to the spider of the ordinary differential gear and will be so designated herein. The inner end of the stub shaft 20 is journaled in an aperture of the spider I8 and is held against rotation by a pin or other suitable means. A sleeve portion` 2| integral with the spider I8 serves as a bearing for a beveled gear 22, which interengages the pinion I9, the latter operatively connecting the beveled gears I5 and 22 together.

55 p The beveled gear 22 is operatively connected to a power means, which, in the present instance, includes a sprocket wheel 24 connected through a chain 25 to a suitable driving means (not shown). As shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing, the

sprocket wheel 24 is keyed to the beveled gear 22 5 7 7 and is held against lateral movement by a collar 26 which is pinned to the driving shaft I3.

With the mechanism just described and assuming that the spider I8 is held stationary the rotation of the sprocket wheel 24 in a clockwise direc- 10 tion, looking from the left (Fig. 1), Will rotate the beveled gear 22 in the same direction rotating the pinion I9 clockwise (looking downwardly), and thus rotate the beveled gear I5 counterclockwise to rotate the drive shaft I3 with the threaded 1.5 shaft .I 0 in the same direction.

A clutch mechanism consisting mainly of a clutch element or latch 28 and a toothed wheel 29 is arranged tor lock the gears I5 and 22 and the pinion I9 against relative movement so as to 20 rotate the shafts I3 and I0 in the opposite or clockwise direction. The toothed Wheel 29 is fixedly mounted upon an integral hub of the beveled gear I5 and is of the general contour shown in Fig. 3. rIhe latch 28 is fixed to one end 2.5 of a pivot pin 3 I, the latch having its inner end 32 of the angular contour shown in Fig. 3 and receivable in the V-shaped recesses formed between the teeth of the toothed wheel 29. The opposite or outer end of the latch 28 is bent arcuately to form a hook 33, the purpose of which will be described hereinafter. 'Ihe pivot pin 3| is journaled in a bearing portion 34, which forms a part of the supporting member I8, the pivot pin 'being normally urged in a clockwise direction (Fig. 3) by means of a spring 35 so as to engage the latch with the wheel 29.

A material guiding member 36 is threaded internally with threads interengaging the threads of the shaft IU Vso that rotation of the threaded shaft in a clockwise direction, looking from the left (Fig. l), will move the material guiding member 3B to the left. Rotation of the threaded shaft in a counterclockwise direction will move the material guiding member to the right. An adjustable member 31, carrying rollers 38 between which material 39 to be guided may pass, has a horizontally disposed key 40 fixed in a keyway in its inner surface and receivable in a keyway in the member 36 so as to permit horizontal adjustment of the rollers 38 relative to an arbor or spool 4I upon which the material is to be wound, the adjustable member being locked in adjusted position by means of a screw 42. A vertically extending portion of the materialguid- 55 ing member 3E is formed into a bearing 44, which is slidably mounted upon a tubular guide 45, the latter being positioned parallel with respect to the threaded shaft I0 to guide the material guiding member during its reciprocatory movement. The support I2 has a horizontally extending aperture 49 in which one end of the tubular guide 45 is disposed. Annular collars 50 and 5I are slidably disposed in the tubular guide 45 adjacent the ends thereof for supporting a clutch actuating rod 53, the left end of which is positioned to be moved into the path of the latch 23 so that it may be engaged by the hooked end 33 of the latch to move the latch about its pivot 3l against the force of the spring 35 to disengage the latch 28 from the toothed Wheel 29. The actuating rod 53 is under the control of the material guiding member 36, the bearing member 44 of which, during its movement to the left (Fig. 1), may engage an arm or lug 54, which extends around and is adjustably secured to the actuating rod, to move the actuating rod to the left until the latch 28 is released from the toothed wheel.

The movement of the material guiding member 35 to the right will move the bearing 44 until it engages an arm or lug 55 extending around and adjustably secured to the actuating rod 53 and moves this arm with the rod to the right to release the latch 28, allowing the spring 35 to move it into engagement with the toothed wheel 29.

An elongated slot 56 is formed in the upper portion of the tubular guide 45 for the arms 54 and 55 to extend through and to be moved therein. A spring pressed block 5l has an arcuate surface which rests upon the actuating rod 53 to frictionally hold the rod in the positions into which it is moved by the bearing 44 of the material guiding member 36.

During the operation of the distributor for guiding the material 39 upon the spool 4I, let it be assumed that the latch 28 is in engagement with the toothed wheel 29, locking the supporting member I8 to the gear I5, resulting in the locking of the gears I5 and 22 and the pinion I9 against relative movement, thus causing rotation of the threaded shaft I0 in a clockwise direction looking from the left (Fig. 1) The rotation of the threaded shaft ID in this direction will move the material guiding member 36 to the left, moving with it the rollers 38 to distribute the material upon the spool 4I until the bearing member 44 engages the arm 54 and moves it a suiiicient distance to move the left end of the actuating rods 53 into the path of the latch 28.

During the engagement of the latch 28 with the toothed wheel 29, the latch is rotated about the shaft I3 until the left end of the actuating rod 53 is moved in its path at which time the hooked end 33 of the latch engages the left end of the actuating rod 53 causing the latch to be swung about its pivot 3| against the force of the spring 35, moving it out of operative engagement with the toothed Wheel 29 and holding it, as well as the spider I8, against rotation. The unlocking of the train of gears I5, 22 and I9, and the holding of the sp-ider I8 against rotation causes the gears to be rotated relative to each other, due to their interengaging relations and their operative engagement with the sprocket wheel 24, to rotate the threaded shaft IG in a counterclockwise direction. The rotation of the threaded shaft in this direction causes the material guiding member 36 to be moved to the right, moving with it the rollers 49 for distributing the material upon the arbor until the bearing member 44 engages the arm 55 and moves the actuating rod 53 a sufficient distance to release the latch 28, allowing the spring 35 to'move the latch into engagement with the toothed wheel and again lock the train of gears against relative movement.

rIhe reversing means, that is, the means for reversing the direction of rotation of the threaded shaft I0 and causing a reversal in the direction of movement of the material guiding member 36, is under the control of the material guiding member itself in that this member, while moving in one direction, moves the actuating rod 53 into a position to engage the latch 28, freeing the gears from their interlocked relationship and holding the latch in this position until the material guiding member has been moved in the opposite direction a suflicient distance to impart movement to the actuating rod 53 to cause it to release the latch, allowing the latch to again lock the gears against relative movement.

Although only one speciiic embodiment of the invention has been shown and described herein, it should be understood that the device is capable of other modifications and adaptations without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a distributor, a threaded member, a material guiding element mounted upon said threaded memberI and moved in either direction depending upon the direction of rotation of said threaded member, power means, interengaging members operatively connecting said threaded member to said power means, a locking member, means for normally urging said locking member into locking position for locking said interengaging members Iagainst relative movement for causing said threaded member to be rotated in one direction, and means under the control of said material guiding member for releasing said locking member.

2. In aY distributor, a threaded member mounted for rotative movement, a material guiding element mounted upon said threaded member and moved in either direction thereby depending upon the direction of rotation of said threaded member, power means, interengaging members operatively connecting said power means to said threadedy member, a locking member for locking the interengaging members against relative movement, and means actuated by said material guiding element for alternately rendering effective and ineffective said locking member, for alternately locking said interengaging members against relative movement and unlocking said interengaging members to allow relative movement thereof to alternately vary the direction of rotation of said threaded member.

3. In a distributor, a material guiding element, a lead screw for moving said element, a driven gear' attached to said lead screw, a driving gear, a spider, a pinion carried by said spider and constantly in mesh with said driving and driven gears, movable means controlled by said guiding element in one position locking said spider to rotate with said driven gear and in another position locking said spider against rotation, and. yieldable means normally holding said movable means in one of said positions.

4. In a distributor, a material guiding element, a lead screw for moving said element, a driven gear attached to said lead screw, a driving gear, a spider, a pinion carried by saidspider and constantly in mesh with said driving and driven gears, a clutch for said spider, means normally holding said clutch engaged to lock said spider to said driven gear to rotate said lead screw in one direction, and a movable member actuated by said guiding element `for disengaging said clutch.

5. In a distributor, a material guiding element, a lead screw for moving said element, a driven gear attached to said lead screw, a driving gear, a spider, a pinion carried. by said spider and constantly in mesh with said driving and driven gears, a clutch for said spider, means normally holding said clutch engaged to lock said spider to said driven gear to rotate said lead screw in one direction, and a movable member actuated by said guiding element for disengaging said clutch and for locking said spider against rotation, resulting in the rotation of said lead screw in the opposite direction.

6. In a distributor, a material guiding element, a lead screw for moving said element, a driven gear attached to said lead screw, a driving gear, a spider, a pinion carried by said spider and constantly in mesh with said driving and driven gears, clutch means comprising a member carried by said spider for locking said spider to rotate with said driven gear, and means movable into the path of said' member to disengage said clutch means and restrain said spider against rotation.

7 In a distributor, a material guiding element, a lead screw for moving said element, a driven gear attached to said lead screw, a driving gear, a spider, a pinion carried by said spider and constantly in mesh with said driving and driven gears, a locking member carried by said spider for locking said spider to rotate with said driven gear, means normally urging said locking member into locking position, and anabutment movable by said guiding element into the path of said locking member to release said locking member and restrain it against rotation.

8. In a distributor, a movable material guiding element, differential gearing for moving said element comprising a driving gear, a driven gear, a spider and a pinion carried by said spider and constantly in mesh with said driving and driven gears, spring pressed means for locking said spider to rotate with said driven gear to move said guiding element in one direction, and means' movable by said guiding element for releasing said locking means and for restraining said spider against rotation, Whereby said element is moved in another direction.

EINER W. LARSEN. 

